Foundations Team to Boost Aviation Safety in East and Southern Africa

Alexandria, VA, June 2, 2008 — Flight Safety Foundation and AviAssist Foundation announced today that the two organizations have developed a partnership to address aviation safety and security issues in the East and Southern African (ESAF) region.

“Statistically, this region is one of the least safe in the world,” said AviAssist Director Tom Kok. “With the rapid growth of tourism and international business, it is vital that ESAF addresses these safety concerns and makes aviation as safe here as anywhere else in the world. Some countries and companies have done a brilliant job in improving their systems and can’t wait to tell their stories. The current system hides those heroes. The AviAssist Foundation will support others in their efforts to replicate such success stories.”

With this partnership, AviAssist and the ESAF region will have access to Flight Safety Foundation’s expertise in aviation safety. “FSF has spent decades developing best practices, various tool kits and other materials with its industry partners that need to be disseminated throughout Africa,” said FSF President and CEO William R. Voss. “Africa is facing many of the safety challenges for which solutions have already been developed. The key is to get those solutions to the people who can use them, and AviAssist will play a vital role in the process.”

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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org

AviAssist Foundation is an independent, non-governmental organization with 10 years of experience. It works with aviation organizations in the ESAF region on identifying threats to safety, analyzing the problems and working on practical solutions to them . It does so in close coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organization and other organizations that provide safety support. It works on long-term programs and will provide trainee opportunities for promising African students. For more information, visit www.aviassist.org or contact info@aviassist.org.